Upsurge momentum, provide needed integrated services to realize objectives-UNFPA charges stakeholders 

Gender Analyst at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana, Madam Selina Owusu has called for an increased momentum of interventions backed by the proper provision of needed integrated services on part of all stakeholders working to address issues of adolescent pregnancies in the country as the way to go to realize the set objectives.

She made this known at the stakeholders engagement dubbed; “Bi-annual tracking meeting on the implementation of the adolescent pregnancy strategy held at the coconut grove Hotel in Accra last Thursday, June 23.

The meeting brought together various stakeholders including leaders of civil society groups, traditional authorities, government appointees, development partners and members of the general public.

Delivering her statement, Madam Selina Owusu reminded the participants that the overarching goal of the stakeholder’s engagement was to track, access and re-align intervention and formulation aimed at ensuring the adolescent girls thrive and transform for the better.

While touching on the implementation and formulation of the strategic plan, she observed that there’s the need for a concerted effort of all stakeholders to meet set targets, adding that to achieve this, “we must continue to build up on good practices that we have worked on in the past, capitalize on them while applying them”.

According to Madam Selina Owusu, the issue of teenage pregnancy poses a threat to the well-being of girls and prevent them from realizing their full potential in all aspect of development which is a matter of outmost concern to the UNFPA Ghana.

She hinted that was the reason why her outfit has partnered with the Ministry of Gender and Social Protection to track the implementation of the 5-year strategic plan to address the adolescent pregnancies plan which is meant to catalyze, coordinate and response to address the menace.

The Director of the Department of Gender Mad. Faustina Acheampong in her welcome address averred that the meeting was an avenue to reveal the exact progress in the implementation of the adolescent pregnancy strategy that was developed by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection together with other stakeholders.

She added that it equally seeks to engage stakeholders in addressing sexual reproductive health issues confronting the adolescents particularly the girl child in ensuring that girls stay away from unwanted pregnancies and stay in school to complete their education.

According to her, the vulnerability of many girls to combine with pregnancy and other reproductive health challenges requires collaborations and concerted efforts by government and all stakeholders to safeguard the girls.

For her, it is what led the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection to collaborate with the Ministries of Health, Education and other key stakeholders to implement the 5-year strategic implementation plan in 2018.

She appealed to all stakeholders to support the strategic implementation plan and adhere strictly to its implementation measures in order to help reduce the menace of the adolescent pregnancy in the country.

Source:Joseph Wemakor

About The Author

Ghana24

See author's posts